Renewable Energy Projects Nearing End Raise Abandonment Concerns

As wind and solar development speeds up across the country, more states are running into questions about how to responsibly decommission or repower projects at the end of their lives.

In the absence of federal guidelines, more than two-thirds of US states have requirements for decommissioning or renewing wind and solar projects at the end of their first life cycles, according to a report from law firm Lewis Roca. Regulations usually protect the private property where projects are developed, the report says.

But guidelines differ state to state, with some focusing on ensuring that decommissioning costs are covered up front ...